Licensed veterinarians in Ohio can now dock the tails of horses to prevent injury to the animals under a revised rule contained in HB 229, a state agricultural bill passed in July. So-called tail docking is the surgical shortening of a horse’s tail. Traditionally, the procedure was intended to prevent the tails of working draft horses from becoming entangled in harnesses or tow ropes.

Previously, Ohio’s livestock care rules prohibited anyone from cutting off or amputating the skin, flesh, muscle, or bone of a horse’s dock or tail in order to shorten its natural length or proportions. Mike Bailey, executive director of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, said the previous rule limited veterinarians to performing the procedure only as required to treat horses for accidental injury, malformation, or disease.

"There was no opportunity for veterinarians to perform proactive tail cutting to prevent injury to the animal," Bailey said.

Tony Forshey, DVM, Ohio state veterinarian, said the revised rule is aimed in part at preventing injury to working horses, especially those used by the state’s Amish community for plowing and other farm work